Vending machine



Dec. 11,1945; w w HIGHAM 2,390,535

- VEb IDING MACHINE FiledMarch 25, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

William Z12 vT'g'g/yam BY I ZZbMew v...

' Dec. 11, 1945. w. w. HIGHAM VENDING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 $1 HYVENTOR.

l on William M N wm Deg. 11, 1945. w. w. HIGHAM 2,390,535

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1942 r e Sheets-Sheet 3 INV {\ITOR.

Dec. 11, 194 5. I w. w. HIGHAM 'VENDING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I N VE N TOR. Z22 fh'gham fiifazweua Dec. 11, 1945. w. w. HIGHAM VENDING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. uh'zzz'am wwz ham I L Dec. 11, 1945. w w HIGH/5M 2,390,535

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 and it has to do particularly uni-rep STAT-ES; PATENT OFFICE 'vaanme mom 1 Ohio, .msma, st rs-at...

Application ma 2:, 1942. sci-n1 is. new

This inventionreiates to a vending machine,

witha machine for vending merchandise inindividual units such as bottled beverages.

The apparatuswlth' which the invention is concernedis one where the apparatus or cabinet is charged with a s pply of filled bottles to be dispensed and where, incident to the insertion of a coin or coins, the bottles are successively brought to a dispensing position one by one.

There are a number of objects of the invention and some of them are set forth below. One object is to provide an improved control means whereby the apparatus is automatically operated by a power means but wherein an operating cycle is not obtained and the coin or coins are returned to the operatorin the event there are no articles of merchandise in the machine to be disposed. The particular arrangement shown is one where the apparatus is automatically operated by electric power, and a circuit arrangement is provided for automatically taking care of a number of conditions including a simple arrangement for preventing operation of the machine in the eventof failure of power.

Another object is to provide a simple theftpreventing arrangement so that no more than one bottle can be obtained at any one time. A further object is to provide a novel arrangement for the cooling of the cabinet, that is the cooling of the cabinet by a mechanical cooling system, and in this connection a novel construction is provided so that the cabinet 'has an excess capacity which can be employed for pre-cooling a number of thefllled bottles before they are placed in the apparatus for dispensing purposes. A still further object of the invention is to provide a coin divider so that a certain number of coins deposited into the machine are collected in one receiver and a certain predetermined number of coins are collected in another receiver, so that there is an automatic proportioning of the total.

receipts. In addition to these specific objects it may be stated that thegeneral thing in mind is the provision of an apparatus which can be produced and supplied to the public at a reasonable cost and'which, although of simplified form, is positive in its operation and will properly function over a long period of time and with a minimum of inspection even though the machine be subjected to considerable abuse and rough useage.

The invention is exemplified by the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of a cabinet 6 Claims. (Cl. 194-10) which may be employed for housing the vending machinery and the refrigerating machinery.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vending mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken su stantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing some of the mechanism with the bottles placed thereon.

Fig. 4 is a view looking substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 illustrating certain of the controls and showing the arrangement for the dis of a bottle and also illustrating some of the bottles in pre-cooling position.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view looking through the cabinet and taken substantially on line 6-! of Fig. 2 illustrating the dispensing. opening, the

cooling unit and showing some of the bottles to apparatus and the relationship of the same to the electrical system.

The form of the cabinet as shown herein is, oi course. subject to variation in structure and design insofar as many features of the invention are .concerned, but. as illustrated in Fig. 1, the cabinet I has its back wall extending above the front wall as shown, and the upper back portion of the wall may incline forwardly as at 2. A cover 3 may be hinged to the top of the wall 2 as at I (Fig. 5) and maybe held in closed. position by a lock 6. .The cover is equipped with a coin receiver 6 and a closure I for the dispensing opening andwhich maybe hinged to thecover as at 8 (Fig. 5). On the front of the cabinet is a shell 8 for containing the coin mechanism, and where the coin divider is used, there are two coin boxes I and l I, access to which may be had by the use of a key, while an opening I: for an there is a dividing partition which separates the lower machinery compartment from the upper refrigerating compartment, and this partition includes a sheet metal support 23 upon which substantially 'the entire dispensing apparatus is mounted. Mounted on one comer of the support is a driving motor II which drives, through a reduction gear box 22, a sprocket 23, over which runs an endless chain 24. Following the path of this chain in Fig. 2, it will be noted that the chain runs over a sprocket 23, a sprocket 23, and then the chain is fashioned into several runs extending back and forth across the support 23. For this purpose the chain operates over a series of sprockets 21 and finally back to the driving sprocket 23. The sprocket 23 (Fig. 3) may be provided with adjusting means 23 which can be adjusted to tighten the chain.

At spaced points the chain is provided with 3 posts 33, and the bottles are disposed between the posts, as shown in Fig. 3 so that movement of the chaincauses the posts to move the bottles therewith. Mounted on the base 23 and. extending between the sprockets are supporting devices for the bottles (Fig. 5). The supports may be in the form of channels 3|, the flanges or legs of which are disposed on opposite sides of the chain and portions 31 adjacent the sprockets 21. I

Also, adjacent the sprockets 21 there are curved supports 33 of the height of rails 3|, the ends of which line up with portions of the supporting rails 3! while partially overlying each sprocket 21 is a plate 43, the elevation of which corresponds to the curved support 38. It will be noted that each guide 33 has its end terminating as at 4| substantially on the axis of one of the sprockets 21. Accordingly, it will be observed that a bottle positioned between two posts of the chain rests upon the channel support 3| and is guided and supported laterally by the guides 33 and that the bottle will be moved along with the chain. When the bottle approaches the end of a run and is in the curved portion of the guiding means it is supported vertically by the support 38 and plate 40, while the curved guide 31 changes the direction of the bottle. Thus the bottles move back and forth with the chain, and ultimately the bottles arrive one by one at the dispensing station. The direction of movement of the chain is shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.

The dispensing station comprises a boxing or housing 45 into which the bottles move. The housing may have three walls, that is, one on each side and a rear wa1l'43 so that the bottle enters the open side, and surmounting the boxing and attached thereto is an upstanding tubular member 41 which lines up with the opening in the top and which is closed by the cover 1. An apertured plate 43 may be positioned between the boxing and the tubular member, and its aperture 33 is preferably of such a size to allow an operator to grasp the top of a bottle with the fingers and withdraw the same upwardly. The back plate 43 is slottedas at 3| for the passage of the posts on the chain therethrough.

the runs of the chain andhaving reverse curved is mounted upon a post 34 iournaled at the top and bottom. A sprocket which is fixed to the shaft meshes with two runs of the chain. Thus the turnstile rotates in unison with the movement of the chain, and as a bottle approaches dispensing position the neck thereof moves through the turnstile as shown in Fig, 2. This prevents a person from removing more than one bottle. The bottles may be loaded onto the mechanism until the maximum capacity is provided, as shown in Fig. 2. The empty portion of the chain extends from the dispensing position around sprockets 23, 23 and 23.

The cooling unit is advantageouslymounted on the back inclined wall 2 of the cabinet. This cooling unit or evaporator is generally shown at 33 and it has a number of finned convolwtions of tubing surrounding a central area in which is positioned an electric motor 3| for driving a fan 32. A shroud 33 is positioned so as to cause the air to move through the coil 33 and then the air is blown downwardly over the bottles. Accordingly, the cooling compartment is dry, and the bottles are not immersed or partially immersed in water. Pre-cooling racks are placed near the front of the cabinet on each side of the I outlet tube 41. These racks are shown at 33, and, as shown, each has a capacity of four bottles, but this is variable. 'Pre-cooling racks are also provided on' opposite sides of the evaporator.

These rack are shown as at 33 and, as shown, each has a capacity of four bottles. When the machine is empty these pre-cooled bottles should be placed on the conveyor so as to be the next ones to be dispensed, with the warmer bottles positioned to the rear thereof so that they are cooled by the time the bottles reach dispensing through a normally open relay switch 13 between the line 13 and the line 14. In the coin chute soon to be described, is a solenoid 33 connected by a line 3| to the secondary of the transformer and a line 32 through a normally closed switch 33 to a line 34. The line 34 leads-to a pivotally mounted mercury switch 33 which is operable Adjacent the entrance of the boxing is what with another mercury switch 33. Leading from the switch 33 is a line 31 which extends to a pivotally mounted mercury switch 33 adjacent another mercury switch 33. Connected to the mercury switch 33 is a line 33 which extends back to the secondary of the transformer 13.

A normally open coin controlled switch 3! is connected by line 32 to one side of the transformer secondary and by a line 33 to a coil 34 of alrelay, this circuit being completed by the line 3 switch 34 which is normally open, and which is connected to the line 34 which is common with the switch 33. Following this route through the line 34, mercury switch-33 and line 31, it will be seen that line 33 extends to the mercury switch 33, while the line 33 extends from this mercury switch to lamp 31 which is the "empty" light; and from the lamp 31 a line 33 extends back to the The line 33 has a branch 33a extending to asecondary of the transformer through a,soo,sss"

oon-

may be called the "delivery light and back to the secondary of the transformer through the common connector line 33.

The mercury switch unit, including switches 33 and 33, is pivoted asat I38 and is connected by a link I33-to an arm I31 pivoted as at I33 and underlying the bottles approaching the delivery station (Figs- 2, 4 and 9). The weight of the bottles depresses the arm I31 and swings the switch unit to the position shown in Fig. 3. This unit includes a gravitating weight I 33. The mercury switches 33 and 33 are mounted as a unit pivotally as at II3, acted upon by a weight III. and the unit is connected by a link II2 to a member II3 pivoted as at III and positioned in front of the backwall The pivoted member H3 is slotted as at III for the passage of (Fig. 3).

The coin control means- (Figs. 6 and 3) has a slot I23 through which the coins tall. The coins strike an abutment I2I and are deflected into a slot I22. A'suitable coin detector I23 for detect ing the expelling slugs is associated with the slot I22. An arm I 24 has one end projecting through an arcuate opening I26 and into the passage or slot I22, and this arm is pivoted as at I23 and embraces the spring arm I21 of the switch II at the point I23. When a coin falls through the slot I22 it strikes the spring arm I23 and causes it to swing clockwise as Fig. 9 is viewed and establishes momentarily a contact at 3i Then the coin falls on through and the contact at 3| opens The solenoid 33 has a pin I33 secured to its armature and the pin extends through a slot and into the entrance way of the passage I22. When the armature and pin are down, the pin I33 blocks the entrance to the passage I22 and therefore the coin falls through a chute I3I which extends to a coin return device I32. When the pin is up the (min is deflected and passes through the passage The coin divider, asshown in Figs. 6, '7 and 8, is positioned under the coin controlling mecha- 43 of the delivering boxing.

the pusher pins therethrough bedirectedtotheothercoinbox. 'I'husthereis an automatic division of the funds received. 01' course, after the trip has functioned the parts return to the position shown-in Figs. 8 and 7. As illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, seven coins are stacked up in the passage I31 and as a result every eighth nism to receive the coins dropping through the slot I 22. This divider, as shown,'has two body plates I33 and I33 connected together and forming a passage I31. A supportIll pivoted as at I33 and held in position by a gravity weight I43 blocks the passage I31 so that the coins come to rest thereon. The support extends through an opening I83. Another passage I ll extends angularly, and a trip member I42 in the form of a length of wire pivoted as at I43 and I44 has an arm I48 projecting into the passage III through an aperture I43. This trip member has a crank arm I41 which engages behind the member I33.

As the coins are deposited in the machine they fall from the slot I22 oi. the coin control mechanism into the passage I31, and the coins stack up upon one another, as shown in Fig. 6. When the passage I31 is filled and no more coins can enter the passage, the next coin is deflected by the uppermost coin into the passage I. This ,coin strikes the portion I48 of the'trip and pivots coin is divided and directed to the other coin box.

The proportions, of course, can be varied as desired, and as shown the body of the coin divider is formedwith an aperture ma tor the I43, the e I31 is provided with an openins Illa for the supporting arm 33 and the body is provided with openings III for receiving the brackets for the pivotal mounting of the trip member I42. If the trip member I42 is elevated to this posltIon, then every sixth coin will be divided from the remaining coins.

I The operation or the device, insofar as the movement of the chain and the advancing of the bottles is concerned has already been described, and in a sense merely, amounts to the travel or the chain in its tortuous passage moving the bottles with it. The operation of the mechanism 'having particular regard to the electrical circuit arrangement and with 9 is as follows:

First assume that there is tion shown in the full lines of Fig. 9 so that the arm I31 is held depressed and the switch unit 3333is in the position shown. long as current is supplied from. the source, the solenoid 83 is energized through the line II, the line 32, the normally closed switch 83, line 84, switch 33, line 81, switch 33 and line 33 which extends back to the secondary of the transformer. This causes the solenoid to elevate the pin I33 to condition the coin-receiving apparatus. 11 there is a failure of current the solenoid'3II is de-energized, the pin I33 will block the passage I32 will beretumed through the passage I3I. If the machine is empty then the weight I33 will swing the switch unit 33--83 clockwise, or in other words, .to a. position corresponding to the position the switch unit 33--83 is in, thus breaking the solenoid circuit so that the machine will not operate and the coin is returned.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 9, a coin momentarily closes the switches 3|. This energizes the relay solenoid 34 through line 32, line 33 and line 8i, and the relay solenoid thus functions to open the switch 83, close the: switch 34 and close the switch 13. This sets the driving motor, 2I in operation, the circuit being through line 11, line 18, switch 13 back to line 14. The switch 34, upon closing, closes a holding circuit for maintaining the relay 34 energized as the switch 3| opens; this circuit is through line 3I, 33a, switch 34, line 84, mercury switch 85, inercury switch 83, and line 33. Therefore, so long as this condition maintains the driving motor functions to advance the chain with the bottles carried thereby. At this time, however, solenoid 83 is de-energized by the opening of the switch 83 so that if another coin is inserted it will be returned to the customer. The foremost bottle is thus advanced from the full line position shown in Fig. 9 to the dotted line position, and the bottle strikes the member I I 3 and swings it to the dotted line position. This swings the mercury switch unit 38-83 counter-clockwise and breaks the holding circuit for the relay at switch 83. This de-energizes the relay 34, thus breaking the motor particular reference to Fig.

a bottle in the posicircuit across the switch 13 and opening the triparm and the coin now at the mercury switch 88 so that 'so long as a bottle remains in the dotted line position a coin dropped into the mechanism is returned to the customer and does not start a new cycle of operation. At this time the delivery lamp I02 is lighted. Its circuit is through the line 80, line I and line IOI which connects to the secondary transformer throughthe connection 89. An operator now opens the door 1, reaches down into the tubular outlet 41 and removes the bottle in the dotted line position. As soon as the bottle is removed the'switch'unit 88-89 returns to the position shown, thus breaking the circuit for the delivery lamp I02 and making the circuit for the solenoid 80, thus conditioning the apparatus for a subsequent operation.

When the last bottle is dispensed andits weight is removed from the arm Hi1 the switch unit 8586 swings counter-clockwise to break the circuit in the switch 85 to thus dc-energize the v solenoid 80. At the same time a circuit for the empty light 91 is made. This light is positioned to illuminate an empty sign in the opening l2. The circuit for this lamp is as follows: through line 98, which connects to the transformer secondary through the common line 99, line 86, through switch 88, line 85, through switch 88, and backthrough line 90 to the transformer secondary.

Thus it will be seen that a coin will not cause an operation ofthe machine if thepower is of! or if the machine is empty; that a coin will not cause operation of the machine as long as there is a bottle in dispensed position which has not been removed. That otherwise a coin sets the machine into operation and the operation continues until a bottle is in dispensing position, at

energize the same, and means operable the removal of a bottle from the delivery station to close the holding circuit switch and open the delivery lamp switch.

veyor, a circuit therefor, a relay in the circuit,

a coin controlled switch for energizing the relay to close the motor circuit, a holding circuit closed 7 by the relay to maintain the relay energized for the continued operation of the motor, a switch in the holding circuit, movable means operable by a bottle as said bottle arrives at the delivery station for operating the switch to break the I holding circuit or the relay for cessation of the operation of the driving motor, means operable which time the motor circuit is broken and the delivery lamp energized. Upon removal of the bottle the delivery lamp is de-energized and the circuit closed to energize the coin control solenoid 80. a

I claim:

i. In a bottle dispensing apparatus having a conveyor for moving bottles, a dispensing station from where the bottles may be removed $110085. sively, an electric motor for driving the conveyor, a circuit therefor, a relay in the circuit, a coin controlled switch for energizing the relay to close the motor circuit, a holding circuit closed by the relay-to maintainlthe relay energizedfor the continued operation of the motor, a delivery lamp and a circuit therefor, a switch in the holding circuit and a switch in the delivery lamp circuit,-

and movable means operable as a bottle arrives at the delivery station for breaking the holding circuit switch for the cessation of motor operation and for closing the delivery lamp circuit to energizethe same. a

2. In 'a bottle dispensing apparatus having a conveyor for moving bottles, adispensing station from where the bottles may be removed successively, an electric motor for driving the conveyor, a. circuit therefor, a relay in the circuit, a coin controlled switch for energizing the relay to close the motor circuit, a holding circuit closed by the relay to maintain the relay energized for the con-1 tinued operation of the motor, a delivery lamp.

and a circuit therefor, a switch in the holding circuit and a switch in the delivery lamp circuit, and movable means operable as a bottle arrives at the delivery station for breaking the holding circuit switch for the cessation of motor operation and for closing the delivery lampcircuit to upon removal vof the bottle from the delivery station to close the holding circuit across said switch, a controlling solenoid for the coins, a circult therefor, a switch in the circuit, and means actuated by a bottle in a position in advance of the delivery station to hold the last named switch closed to thereby maintain the solenoid energized to condition the same for the reception of a coin to actuate the coin controlled switch.

4. In a bottle dispensing apparatus having a conveyor for moving bottles, a dispensing station from where the bottles may be removed successively, a rotary electric motor for driving the conveyor, a circuit therefor, a relay in the circuit, a coin controlled switch for energizing the relay to close the motor circuit, a holding circuit closed by the relay to maintain the relay energized for the continued operation of the motor, a. switch in the holding circuit, movable means operable by a bottle as said bottle arrives at the delivery station for operating the switch to break the holding circuit of the relay for cessation of the operation of th driving motor, means operable upon removal of the bottle from the delivery station to close the holding circuit across said switch, a controlling solenoid tor the coins, a circuit therefor, a switch in the circuit. means actuated by-a bottle in a position in advance of the delivery station to hold the last named switch closed to thereby maintain the solenoid energized to condition, the same for the reception of a coin to actuate the coin controlled switch, an empty light, a circuit therefor and a switch in the circuit held closed by a bottle in the position in advance of the delivery station, and means for closing the last named switch to energize the -empty" light in the absence of a bottlein the position preceding the delivery station.

5. In a bottle dispensing apparatus having a conveyor for moving bottles, a dispensing station from where the bottles may be removed successively, an electric motor for driving the conveyor, a circuit therefor, a relay in the-circuit, a coin controlled switch for energizing the relay to close the motor circuit, a holding circuit closed by the relay to maintain the relay energized for the continued operation of the motor, a pivotally mounted unit comprising two mercury switches, one of which is in the holding circuit, a delivery lamp, a circuit therefor running through the other mercury switch, means operable as a bottle arrives at dispensing position to-pivot the switch unit to break the holding circuit for the cessation of the operation of the motor and to close the delivery lamp circuit, said unit being pivotal back to from the delivery station.

6. m a bottle dispensing apparatus having a: conveyor 20: moving bottles, a dispensing station from where the bottles may be removed successively. a rotary electric motor for driving the conveyor. a circuit therefor, a relay in the circuit, a coin controlled'switch for energizing the relay to close the motor circuit, a holding circuit closed by the relay to maintain the relay energized tor the continued operation of the motor, a pivotally mounted unit comprising two mercury switches, 10

one or which is in the holding circuit, a delivery lamp. a circuit therefor running through the other mercury switch, means operable by a bottle as pivotal back to its orizinai position upon the removal of the bottle from the delivery station, another pivotally mounted switch unit comprising two mercury switches, an "empty light, a solenoid for conditioning the coin controlled means for initiating operation or the driving motor, a circuit for the empty" light extending throuah one of the last named mercury switches, a circuit for the solenoid extending through the other last named mercury switch, and means operable by the presence of a bottle in a position in advance of the delivery station to hold. the last named switch means positioned to close the circuit ior the coin controlling solenoid and to open the'cir- 15 cuit forth "empty" lamp.

WIILIAM W. HIGHAM. 

